Hundreds of Pegu Residents Affected by Floods

A woman drinks a Heineken beer while swimming through the floods on an inflated tire on Wednesday. Hundreds of residents of Pegu Town have been suffering from severe flooding in recent days following heavy downpours. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

PEGU Town — The riverside town of Pegu has been affected by severe flooding after heavy downpours hit much of lower Burma in recent days, causing the Pegu River to swell and burst its banks.

Hundreds of residents of the town have seen their neighborhoods flood, forcing some to leave their homes and take shelter in local monasteries, while others have to wade through deep water or use boats to move around.

At least a dozen villages along the Pegu River and the nearby town of Tanatpin have also